subject k - ie business school application
TRANSCRIPT
Application: Master in ManagementCamille Petit
K. If all of the world's cultural heritage (sports, music, fashion, architecture, literature, painting)
was contained in a time capsule, what would you include to demonstrate the legacy of your
country?
The French Legacy
The French culture
• France is an old country with a rich
and long History.
• It is composed by one big territory in
western Europe and overseas regions
and territories (e.g. French Guiana,
Réunion, French Polynesia, Saint
Martin).
• Even though Paris is the most famous
city of the country, the French culture
is a lot more than Paris.
• Therefore, the French culture is rich
and very diverse.
The legacy of
• The values of France and of its
people
• French Cuisine
• Fashion and « Haute-Couture »
• Landmarks
• Architecture
• French Literature
• France, a sports nation
• Traditions and celebrations
The values of France and its people
Freedom, Equality, Fraternity
• Those three words are the national motto of France and
are defined in The Declaration of the Rights of Man and
of the Citizen of 1789.
• E.g. “Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything
which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the
natural rights of each man has no limits except
those which assure to the other members of the
society the enjoyment of the same rights. These
limits can only be determined by law.”*
• French people are very attached to their freedoms
especially the Freedom of speech that they will keep
defending.
“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend
to the death your right to say it” - Voltaire
* Article 4, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
French Cuisine
• France is famous for its cuisine and its local products. It is an
important part of the French culture.
• France is also known for its traditional full meal composed of a
starter, a main dish, cheese and a dessert.
In order to demonstrate the legacy of my country, I would include:
• Food: raclette, ratatouille, cheeses (e.g. camembert, roquefort), bread (baguette),
pastries (e.g. macarons, canelé, Mille-Feuille), viennoiserie (e.g. croissant), desserts
(e.g. crêpes, crème brûlée)
• Beverages: wine, champagne, spirits (e.g. Pastis, Cognac, Calvados), cider
Fashion and « Haute-Couture »
• Paris has often been considered
as one of the world’s fashion
capitals. Several international
and most famous fashion brands
are French such as Christian Dior,
Chanel, Givenchy or Jean-Paul
Gaultier.
• We also often speak about « élégance à
la française », which is a sophisticated
style used by many French people.
Landmarks
Like any country, France has monuments and places that
demonstrate its legacy throughout its History.
Palace of Versailles The Louvre Museum Mont Saint Michel
Eiffel Tower Pont du Gard Carcassonne City
Architecture
• Each French region has its specific
architectural style. This diversity is
what makes the French culture so
rich.
• We also have some very famous
Architects:
• Louis Le Vau (e.g. Palace of
Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte)
• Jules Hardouin Mansart (e.g.
extension of the palace of
Versailles, Place Vendôme)
• Gustave Eiffel (e.g. Eiffel Tower)
• Jean Nouvel (e.g. Arab World
Institute, Cartier Foundation)
• Auguste Bartholdi (e.g. The Statue
of the Liberty, Lion of Belfort)
French Literature
Among the world classic novels and plays, several French titles and
authors appear:
• Victor Hugo (Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince)
• Jules Verne (Around the World in 80 Days)
• Molière (The Misanthrope, The Imaginary Invalid)
• Emile Zola (The Rougon-Macquart)
• Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers)
France, a sports nation
Sports are very important in France and form the pattern of the
French sport addicts’ lives throughout the year.
The most popular sports are soccer (called football), rugby, cycling
(Tour de France), basketball, handball, tennis and pétanque (mostly
in the South).
Traditions and Celebrations
• Bastille Day (14th July): It is a tribute to the storming of the Bastille in 1789
with a military parade along the Champs-Elysées and in other French
cities. It is also the French national day.
• Epiphany (6th January): This is the day we eat kings cakes with charms
inside
• Candlemas: This is the day we eat crepes
• Mardi Gras: This is the day of Carnival throughout the whole country
• April 1st (called « Poisson d’Avril » in French, or literally « the fish of
April »): It is mostly celebrated at school where the children stick paper
fish on each other’s back